Rose Twilight
by MewIchigoPrincess
Summary: Changed the title. Akiza confesses her feelings to Yusei, but he rejects her. She then goes missing, and Yusei swears to find her and make it up to her. What happened to Akiza? And can she be found in time? Rated T for safety and future chapters. R&R!


MewIchigoPrincess: Hey everybody! I know, I know, I'm TERRIBLE about updating! I apologize! But, I'm going to try and finish all of my stories that need a conclusion as soon as I can! But, it's hard to work on multiple stories at once. So, I'm going to focus on writing this one and then go on to finish the other ones. So, let me tell you right now that I'm working on a special story right now that I am going to finish completely before I even post it! What is it, you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait and find out! Lol alright, anyways, I'm introducing some new characters in this story. Here are the characters:

Lily London

Eden Hathaway

Roma Callihan

Alright, those are the characters! You'll see very soon the role they have in this story, but, let's start out with chapter one! Enjoy!

Chapter One

Roses are delicate, somewhat dangerous flowers. They are beautiful to look at, but, touch them the wrong way, and you might find yourself with a cut from one of it's thorns. This is true in the case of Akiza Izinski. She's strong, beautiful, and fragile, at times. At least, that's how Yusei Fudo viewed her. She was someone that he respected and unconsciously protected, aware at the back of his mind that she was delicate. However, he found himself needing to do that less and less these days. She had evolved from the angry, hateful girl she was while apart of the Arcadia Movement. She was now her own person, strong and fearless, kind and merciful. She had learned how to ride a Duel Runner and had become a better duelist because of it. He knew that she could fight her own battles, and she greatly respected him for that. However, there were moments when Yusei's second nature would kick in and he would sacrifice his life for her in a heartbeat. Of course, he would do that for any one of his friends, because they meant so much to him. After all, they were the only family he had in the world.

Almost the same thing could be said about Yusei as Akiza, at least, in her eyes. She also thought that he was strong, kind, merciful, and also at times slightly fragile. His usual calm, cool finesse was broken at times when his friends were in danger, or their spirit was broken. Those were the times when he needed to be picked up from the ground, almost Akiza, along with all of Yusei's other friends, would also risk their lives for him. But Akiza's feelings for Yusei went much deeper than just friendship. Since the time that he had saved her from her hatred, she had developed special feelings for the strong could even say these special feelings were feelings of love, and not just love for a sibling or parent. But the kind of love that resonates through a person's soul, the kind that makes your heart race and cheeks flush just at the mention of their name. The kind that will last forever. And that's how Akiza felt whenever she was around him. I mean, who wouldn't fall for a guy like Yusei Fudo? He's kind, cool, handsome, and strong. Every girl wants their guy to be exactly like him, and Akiza was lucky enough to even know him. While she wasn't sure exactly how Yusei felt about her, she knew how she felt about him, and she was about to the point where she was ready to pour her heart out.

It had been something Akiza had been contemplating for weeks now. She had to come up with a perfect location, perfect time, and, of course, the perfect words to tell him how she felt. She had flipped over and over every place, time, and combination of words in her mind, trying to come up with something perfect. A meadow underneath the moonlight? A candlelit dinner? No, they were all cliche and tacky. Akiza continued to contemplate this even after a duel with a team in the WRGP, which had resulted in a win. Immediately following the duel, all contestants and family and friends of contestants were invited to a little party to commemorate the winners so far. Of course, all of Team 5D's was there, despite some of the member's lack of enthusiasm for parties.

Akiza really wasn't one for parties, so she decided to walk out onto the balcony of the spacious, sparkling mansion the party was held in to contemplate more. It overlooked a sparkling lake and vivacious forest, dark, and quiet underneath the night sky. A shimmering lake extended out from the land, calm underneath the moon. A warm, gentle breeze was blowing in the midst of the spring night, and Akiza couldn't help but to close her eyes and let the breeze take her thoughts captive. She smiled slightly as every muscle in her body relax, and she focused on the pleasant smell of the pine tress from the woods tickling her nose. Suddenly, all of the noise and lights emanating from the party faded into the background, and she became aware of nothing but her and the calm night. As she focused more on the smells in the air, she noticed different smells from different flowers, all floating up to her to please her. She loved everything about nature, and especially the flowers. When she was still hateful and bitter, she felt that those were the only living things that she could identify with, for they did not judge her, nor did they rebuke her. They simply listened, and floated in the wind and pleased her with their sweet fragrance. She could identify so well with what they represented: beauty and danger. She opened her ears and listened to them sing to her their songs of beauty. She was lost in the world of nature. So when a certain, blue-eyed duelist gently placed his hand on her shoulder, she nearly jumped off of the balcony. Yusei smirked at the girl's terror.

"Sorry, Akiza. I didn't mean to scare you," he said. Akiza took a couple of deep breaths and quickly regained her composure. She smiled gently at him.

"It's okay," she said, "I should have been paying more attention. But, I just can't help but to get lost in the wonderful smells and beautiful sights of nature." Yusei looked at her intently now, his eyes egging her on with curiosity.

"What do you feel, Akiza?" he asked. Akiza looked at him curiously, wondering why he would want to know such a thing. But the only answer came from his eyes, which were burning with curiosity now. She was surprised by how much he wanted to know, so she indulged him.

"Well, it's hard to explain, really. There are so many things I feel at once. I feel a rush of joy and excitement and just pure contentment. And, at the same time, I feel sad," the girl said, her amber eyes glistening with the remembrance of emotions.

"Why?" Yusei asked simply.

"There are so many people out there who want to destroy this beautiful world of ours just for selfish gain. And, it makes me sad that these living creatures could simply be killed without a single thought, you know? It just isn't right! They give us air and a breathtaking picture to look at every day. I just don't understand why people do such terrible things."

"I didn't know you thought about things like that." Yusei said, looking out at the night sky. Akiza looked at him now. She looked admiringly at this strong features and piercing, blue eyes. And then, it finally occurred to her that this was the opportunity she had been waiting for. This was the perfect time. Mother Nature had brought her out here for a reason. Akiza looked down at her hands, which gripped the balcony nervously.

_'C'mon Akiza! Don't think about it, just do it!'_ She thought. Akiza took a couple of deep breaths and tried to regain her composure. She wasn't completely calm, but she was calm enough to spit out her words. Akiza squeezed the balcony railing for support and opened her mouth.

"Yusei... I... need to tell you something, and, I just want you to hear me out." Akiza didn't look at him, she felt she couldn't. She waited patiently for his response.

"Sure Akiza. You know you can tell me anything," came his gentle reply. That eased Akiza's nerves even more. She finally got the courage to look at him, and when she finally looked up, she noticed that he was unusually close to her. Whatever it was, he probably wanted to be that close for support, in case it was something bad. Akiza's amber eyes locked into Yusei's sapphire ones, and she nearly forgot her words. She had to mentally slap herself to snap her out of her dream-like state. She looked down again, trying to hide the slight blush she felt rising on her cheeks.

"Yusei... for awhile now, I've been feeling something... special for you. When you saved me from myself the first time we dueled, I have felt nothing but gratitude and respect for you. At first I thought that it was just a silly crush, but, as I thought about it more and more, I realized that it was the solid, real kind of feelings that don't go away. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'm in love with you, Yusei." Silence befell them for a moment. She was afraid to look up at him, but he hadn't said anything for so long, she wanted to know what he was thinking. She then forced herself to gaze up into his sapphire eyes. What she saw shocked her. She had never seen him look at her, or anyone else, for that matter, that way before. His eyes were gentle, sympathetic, and puzzled, all at the same time. She guessed that he was trying to process what she had told him and find the words to tell her how he felt. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he put his hands gently on her shoulders and let out a sigh.

"Akiza... I... really don't know what to say. I mean, I'm not sure how I feel about you, but, I think it would be better if we just stayed friends, anyways. It would just be the more logical choice. I think that it would avoid unnecessary complications and keep the team going. So, I'm sorry, Akiza, but, I know you can understand." Akiza's heart dropped. His words were so unlike him. They were almost cold and unwelcoming. Rejection hurt no matter what, but, the way he said it hurt worse. She could feel her heart break into a million little pieces inside of her chest. She tried her hardest to fight back the tears and looked up at Yusei, a smile plastered on her face. But, even though she fought hard to stop the tears, she couldn't stop them from welling up in her eyes. Now Yusei looked worried and guilty. He had never made anyone, especially a girl, cry before, and he hated to see one of his good friends in pain like that. She tried to hide it, but, he could see into her soul.

"Akiza---"

"No, Yusei, it's okay! I totally understand. You're right. It would be better for the team to stay friends. I don't know what I was thinking. God, I feel so selfish!" Her voice cracked, just on the verge of a breakdown. "I'm sorry that I brought this up. Let's pretend it never happened, okay?" And before he could respond, she spun on her heels and ran away from the balcony and the party, her hand covering her mouth.

"Akiza! Wait!" Yusei called. But she didn't stop, and he had no idea what he should do. Should he go after her, or stay put? He ultimately decided to stay put, still very unsure of his feelings towards his closest female friend. But that didn't stop the guilt that pierced his heart.

Akiza ran as fast as she could away from everything, despite Crow and Leo and Luna trying to talk to her. She ignored them and ran far away. She left her Duel Runner at the stadium, but she didn't care about that now. Besides, the boys would get it and take it back ot the garage. She ran and ran and ran until her feet hurt, and then she ran some more. Her running came to a halt when she tripped over the root of a tree in the woods. She fell down in the dirt, face first and sobbed. She cried and cried until she made herself sick. She wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand and looked up into the sky with blurry eyes. Nothing in her entire life hurt so much, not even when her parents rejected her. _'Why does it hurt so much?' _she wondered. Suddenly, she heard leaves rattle behind her. She looked around her then, weary of where she was. She was too upset to care where she was running and therefore didn't give much consideration as to where she was going. She noticed she had run deep into the woods by the mansion. It was dark and quiet. Something rattled behind her again, this time followed by footsteps. She stood up then, bracing herself for a fight.

"Hello?" she called, her voice raspy from crying. "Who's there?" All of a sudden, a big, black figure came up behind her. Her eyes widened in terror as she let out a scream. Her scream was cut short, however, as she felt something hard come in contact with her head and her world started to become black. The last thing she thought was that she hoped the blow would take her out of her misery and stop the blood-curdling pain.

"Yusei! Yusei! Akiza's missing!" Leo shouted, running through the door to the garage where Yusei, Crow, Jack, and Bruno all worked on their Runners. Everyone looked up at Leo, alarm bright in their eyes.

"What?!" Yusei shouted.

"She went missing last night! Her parents said that she didn't come home." Luna explained, panic in her voice. The guilt that was piercing in his heart intensified ten fold---what if he was the one who caused her disappearance? Maybe it wasn't logical thinking, but he didn't care at that point. He had to find her. He owed to her to at least do that. And then when he found her, he would make it up to her. He would think over his feelings for her, and let her down easy or confess his feelings for her. He would find her no matter what and tell her... even if it meant losing his life.

MewIchigoPrincess: Hey guys! Hope you liked chapter one! I was really trying to be in their situation and get inside their minds to really make this as realistic as possible. I hope I did a good job! Well, anyways, read and review! No flames please! But constructive criticism is welcome! =)


End file.
